Ficus rumphii (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Ficus rumphii Blume

Protologue: Bijdr. fl. Ned. Ind. 9: 437 (1825).

Synonyms

• Ficus cordifolia Roxb. (1832),
• Ficus conciliorum Oken (1841),
• Ficus damit Gagnep. (1927).

Vernacular names

• Mock bodh tree (En)
• Indonesia: ancak (Bali), bandira (Javanese), waringin jawa (Ambon)
• Thailand: pho khee nok, pho prasaat, pho tua phuu (central)
• Vietnam: lâm vồ, da mít.

Distribution

India, Cocos Island, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Burma (Myanmar), Indo-China, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Java, Sulawesi, the Lesser Sunda Islands and the Moluccas.

Uses

The latex and fruits are emetic and anthelmintic, and used to treat itch. The latex is given internally as a vermifuge and for the relief of asthma. The tree is a host of the lac insect, and is also planted as a shade tree. The young leaves and ripe fruits are edible, raw or cooked. The leaves and twigs may be used as fodder for cattle and elephants. The bark yields a rough cordage. In India, the soft wood is used as fuel and for the production of charcoal.

Observations

• A deciduous, small to medium-sized tree or strangler up to 20 m tall, bole often fluted, bark surface flaky, silvery grey.
• Leaves arranged spirally, ovate to broadly ovate, 7.5-17.5 cm × 5-12.5 cm, base cordate to rounded, apex acuminate, margin entire or wavy, palmately veined at base, with 4-6 pairs of lateral veins, glabrous, stipules 1-2.5 cm long.
• Figs paired, sessile, globose, 10-15 mm in diameter, glabrous, whitish with dark spots, ripening pink or purple, then black; male flowers few, with 2(-3) free tepals and 1 stamen, female flowers sessile or shortly stipitate, with 3 fused tepals.

F. rumphii is found on rocky coasts and is commonly planted.

Selected sources

• [202] Burkill, I.H., 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. Revised reprint. 2 volumes. Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol. 1 (A-H) pp. 1-1240. Vol. 2 (I-Z) pp. 1241-2444.
• [281] Corner, E.J.H., 1965. Check-list of Ficus in Asia and Australia. Gardens' Bulletin, Singapore 21: 1-186.
• [284] Corner, E.J.H., 1988. Wayside trees of Malaya. 3rd Edition. 2 volumes. The Malayan Nature Society, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 774 pp.
• [287] Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1948-1976. The wealth of India: a dictionary of Indian raw materials & industrial products. 11 volumes. Publications and Information Directorate, New Delhi, India.
• [478] Ghafoor, A., 1985. Moraceae. In: Nasir, E. & Ali, S.I. (Editors): Flora of Pakistan No 171. National Herbarium (Stewart Collection), Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad, Pakistan. 54 pp.
• [580] Heyne, K., 1950. De nuttige planten van Indonesië *[The useful plants of Indonesia]. 3rd Edition. 2 volumes. W. van Hoeve, 's-Gravenhage, the Netherlands/Bandung, Indonesia. 1660 + CCXLI pp.
• [900] Mansfeld, R., 1986. Verzeichnis landwirtschaflicher und gaertnerischer Kulturpflanzen (ohne Zierpflanzen) *[Register of agricultural and horticultural plants (withouth ornamentals)]. 2nd Edition, revised by J. Schultze-Motel. 4 volumes. Springer Verlag, Berlin, Germany. 1998 pp.
• [1289] Sastrapradja, S. & Afristiani, J.J., 1984. Kerabat beringin *[The genus Ficus]. Seri Sumber Daya Alam 115. Lembaga Biologi Nasional - LIPI, Bogor, Indonesia. 118 pp.
• [1380] Smitinand, T., 1980. Thai plant names. Royal Forest Department, Bangkok, Thailand. 379 pp.
• [1564] Whitmore, T.C. & Ng, F.S.P. (Editors), 1972-1989. Tree flora of Malaya. A manual for foresters. 2nd Edition. 4 volumes. Malayan Forest Records No 26. Longman Malaysia Sdn. Berhad, Kuala Lumpur & Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

Main genus page

• Ficus (Medicinal plants)

Authors

• J.P. Rojo, F.C. Pitargue & M.S.M. Sosef